Chișinău, Moldova, 19 July 2022: The newly renovated Moldova for Peace Community Centre 151 is now open to Ukrainian refugees and local citizens alike, thanks to the generous support of the United States and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This centre provides a safe space for refugee and Moldovan women, children, and youth to interact, connect and seek services together on an equal basis. The official launch event today featured the US Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon, Ukrainian Ambassador Marko Shevchenko, State Secretary Jana Costachi, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the UNHCR Representative in the Republic of Moldova Francesca Bonelli.
Ludmila Adamciuc, the community centre administrator, expressed appreciation for the USA’s and UNHCR’s help renovating the building and building up the services provided there, which include Romanian and English language lessons for children and adults, 3D printing, and other entertainment for children. During the visit today, the group had a tour of the centre.
“In our community centre, we respond to the urgent needs of refugees and the local community. One of its main goals is to help refugees connect and integrate with local communities”, said Ludmila Adamciuc.
The US Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon donated Ukrainian language children’s books to the centre. Also, he recited a poem that a refugee wrote in Moldova. Refugee children in Moldova will receive 12,000 books in Ukrainian, as part of a humanitarian initiative led by the Ukrainian Book Institute under the patronage of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenskaya.
“I’m pleased today to celebrate the critically important work of Moldova for Peace. It has been inspiring to see the generous and effective response of the Moldovan people and government providing Ukrainian refugees protection and shelter throughout this difficult time. The United States remains committed to supporting the Moldovan response. On July 9, Secretary of State Blinken announced an additional $45 million in support for Moldova’s humanitarian response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, for a total of $75 million since February,” said U.S. Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon.
And Jana Costachi the State Secretary of the Minister of Internal Affairs spoke about the importance of helping refugees integrate with their local communities.
“The social inclusion of refugees in Ukraine is practically impossible without the direct involvement of civil society, through the creation of community centres. The Migration and Asylum Office of the Ministry of Interior has a multidimensional experience of collaboration with civil society, especially in terms of programs dedicated to facilitating the integration of refugees into the life of the host society. The creation of such a centre is another beautiful result of the sustainable and long-term partnership that public institutions have with civil society representatives, who take over and share common responsibilities for the benefit and support of refugees”, said Jana Costachi.
“This centre is a safe space for all. Its significance goes beyond the activities it provides; it is a place where everyone can contribute their energy and strength to the same community”, said Francesca Bonelli, the UNHCR Representative in the Republic of Moldova. “The people and Government of the Republic of Moldova have demonstrated incredible solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine, and this centre is part of that example for the world. Moldova for Peace is like a family working together, with empathy for their neighbours, to build an inclusive and welcoming community.”
Moldova for Peace is a civic initiative created to provide assistance to refugees who fled Ukraine since the first day of the war. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Moldova for Peace has contributed to efforts to help refugees and host communities manage the consequences of displacement.
As of 19 July, there have been nearly 540,000 refugee arrivals into Moldova from Ukraine. 86,000 refugees from Ukraine remain in the country, most of whom are women and children.
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